Xavi Pascual has been appointed new head coach for FC Barcelona Basketball team, starting in November 17, and has signed for two and a half years, until June 2028. He succeeds Joan Peñarroya, who signed for two years at Barça Basket in June 2024, but was sacked last week after a series of bad results: eleventh out of 18 in the Spanish League, Liga ACB (with 2 wins and 4 defeats) and eighth in Euroleague with 6 wins and 4 defeats.
Xavi Pascual will take the role from Óscar Orellana, interim head coach since November 9, who yesterday led the team to a narrow victory over Bayern Munich, 75-74. Pascual was the most successful coach for Barcelona: he led the team between 2008 and 2016, and in that time he won Liga ACB four times, Spanish Cup three times, and the club's second and last EuroLeague in 2010. Pascual also won a EuroLeague with Panathinaikos and up until now he was in charge of Zenit Saint Petesbourg.
"The good relationship between Joan Laporta, Josep Cubells and Xavi Pascual proved key to quickly reaching an agreement during this financially challenging period", said the club. According to sources cited by Efe, one of Pascual's requests was to build a winning project for the next season... which may clash with the budget cuts that have affected the basketball section of the club.